Apparatus for forming holes in sewer mains



y 1, 1963 c. P. BROOKS ETAL 3,090,260

APPARATUS FOR FORMING HOLES IN SEWER MAINS Filed June 20, 1960INVENTORS. (bar/e5 P? Brooks United States Patent 3,090,260 APPARATUSFOR FORMING HOLES IN SEWER MAINS Charles P. Brooks, Overland Park,Kans., and Harold F.

Livers, Kansas City, Mo.; said Livers assignor to said Brooks Filed June20, 1960, Ser. No. 37,255 2 Claims. (Cl. 77-14) This invention relatesto an apparatus for cutting a hole in the side of a pipe, and moreparticularly to a cutting assembly that may be clamped rigidly to anunderground sewer main whereby to form a hole therein and permit theconnecting of a lateral to the main.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provideapparatus of the aforementioned character that includes a supportadapted for attachment to the pipe to be cut, and which support holds acutter in place through the provision of a rotatable and reciprocableshaft attached to the cutter and journalled in bearing means carried bythe support.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide quicklyreleasable, spring-loaded pipe-impaling means for facilitating theattachment of the apparatus to the pipe.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of apparatus for formingholes in sewer mains made according to the present invention, partsbeing broken away and in section for clearness; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, end elevational view thereof showing the sewermain upon which the apparatus is mounted in transverse cross section.

A support is channel-shaped, presenting a rectangular plate 12 and apair of longitudinal flanges 14 and 16, each of which are in turnprovided with a pair of projections 18. A leg 20 is fastened to eachprojection 18 respectively, and each leg 20 is in turn provided with alateral extension to present a foot 22. Feet 22 each have an eye element24 mounted thereon, and the legs 20 are interconnected in pairs bycrossbolts 26 and held apart by spacers on the bolts 26, one of whichcan be seen in FIG. 2 and designated by the numeral 28.

A tubular housing 30 is attached to the outer face of the plate 12 andprovided with a pair of bearings 32 held apart by a spacer 34 within thehousing 30. The bearings 32 journal a shaft 36 that is also reciprocablerelative to bearings 32 along the longitudinal axis of shaft 36. Areduced end 38 on the shaft 36 permits attachement thereto of powermeans to drive the shaft 36. This may consist of the chuck of anordinary hand drill, or any other coupling on a flexible shaft leadingfrom an electric motor or other prime mover. Or, conceivably, the shaft36 could be driven by hand merely by attaching a handle or other leverelement to the reduced portion 38 of shaft 36.

A cutter, broadly designated by the numeral 40, substantially embracedby the legs 20, is provided with a cylindrical wall 42. A wall 44 closesone end of the cutter 40 and is attached directly to the proximal end ofshaft 36 by a fastener 46. A boss 48 rigid to wall 44 has a recess 50receiving the shaft 36 and FIG. 1 of the drawing illustrates the way inwhich the bolt 46 passes through the wall 44 and the boss 48 into theshaft 36.

Boss 48 limits the extent of outward movement of the shaft 36 and avoidscontact between the cutter 40 and the support 10. The recess 50 may bepolygonal and complementally receive the shaft 36 to prevent relativerotation between shaft 36 and cutter 40.

The cutting means for the cutter 40 takes the form of a plurality ofpolygonal, hardened blocks 52 pressfitted into notches'extendingupwardly from the innermost circular edge 54 of wall 42. The thicknessof each block 52 is slightly greater than that of the material fromwhich wall 42 is made and the outermost end of each block 52 projectsslightly beyond the peripheral edge 54. It is to be noted that cutterblocks 52 are tipped slightly so that its outermost leading edge 56forms a cutting or shaving edge acting on pipe 58 when the apparatus isplaced in use.

Pipe-impaling means are employed to hold the feet 22 in engagement withthe outer face of pipe 58 and each includes a chain 60 having a spring62 attached thereto. A hook 64 attaches each chain 60 respectively to acorresponding eye element 24.

A quickly releasable take-up coupling 66 is provided for each chain 60respectively. Each coupling 66 includes a pair of plates 68 attached tothe corresponding chain 60 by a clevis 70. A trigger element 72 betweenplates 68 has connection with the latter through pivot pins 74, triggerelement 72 being bifurcated to receive a hook 76 therebetween. Hook 76is attached to trigger element 72 by a pivot pin 78 and engages theproximal eye element 24 as is clear in the drawing.

When the trigger element 72 is swung outwardly about its pivots 74, thecoupling 66 is extended to release the tension on spring 62, making itpossible to release the hook 76 from its eye element 24. Conversely,when the couplings 66 are in the position illustrated in the drawing,the trigger element 72 remains in place because of an off-center actionbetween pivot 78 and the pivot 74 and clevis 70.

It is obvious from the foregoing that when the apparatus is attached tothe pipe 58 in the manner just above described, the feet 22 are held inposition against the pipe 58 and an opening may be formed in pipe 58 byrotating the shaft 36 and, therefore, the cutter 40 while holding thecutter blocks 52 in engagement with the pipe 58.

Sewer pipes generally are made from ceramic materials or the like and,therefore, the action of the lead ing edges of the cutter blocks 52 onthe pipe 58 is to shave away the material forming the pipe 58 into adust until the circular opening is completely formed. It is contemplatedthat slight pressure be exerted on the shaft 36 inwardly to thereby holdthe blocks 52 tightly against the pipe 58 during rotation of cutter 40.

A set collar 80, adjustable on the shaft 36, limits the extent of inwardmovement of the cutter 40 into the pipe '58 after the hole has beenformed therein.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for cutting a circular hole in a side of a circularunderground sewer pipe comprising:

(A) a cutter support including an elongated plate having opposed facesand an opening therein,

(B) a housing secured to said plate at one face thereof in surroundingrelationship to said opening and extending outwardly therefrom,

(C) a cutter shaft extending through said opening and housing,

(D) bearing means within said housing mounting said cutter shaft forrotation about its longitudinal axis and for reciprocal movement towardand away from said pipe,

(E) a cutter secured to said cutter shaft and disposed between saidplate and said pipe,

(F) at least two pairs of legs secured to said plate and extendinggenerally perpendicularly outwardly from the opposite of said faces,

(G) each of said legs haw'ng a pipe-engaging foot extending laterallytherefrom generally tangentially to said side of said circular pipe,

(H) two link chains, each interconnecting the feet of correspondingpairs of legs for holding the feet against said side of said pipe,

(I) a coil spring connecting one end of each chain to the foot on oneleg of each pair;

the improvement in means for tightening said chains against said pipecomprising a quick release coupling attached to the opposite end of eachchain comprising:

(a) hook means for insertion into a hole in the foot on the other leg ofeach pair of legs, and V (b) lever means connecting each hook means toone of said chains, said lever means being pivoted ofii-cen ter forquickly moving said hook means toward and away from said hole.

2. In apparatus for cutting a circular hole in the side of a circularunderground sewer pipe comprising:

(A) a cutter support including elongated plate means having opposedfaces and an opening therein,

(B) a housing secured to said plate means at one face thereof insurrounding relationship to said opening and extending outwardlytherefrom,

(C) a cutter shaft extending through said opening and housing,

(D) hearing means within said housing mounting said cutter shaft forrotation about'its longitudinal axis and for reciprocal movement towardand away from said pipe,

(E) a cutter secured to said cuter shaft and disposed 'between saidplate means and said pipe,

('F) at least two pairs of legs secured to said plate meansandextending' outwardly from the opposite of said faces,

(G) each of said legs having a pipe-engaging foot extending laterallytherefrom,

(H) two separate pipe-engaging means, each encompassing said pipe andinterconnecting the feet of corresponding pairs of legs for holding thefeet against said side of said pipe,

(1) spring means connecting one end of each pipeengaging means to thefoot on one leg of each pair;

the improvement in means for tightening said pipecngaging means againstsaid pipe comprisa quick release coupling attached to each pipeengagingmeans comprising:

(a) hook means for insertion into a hole in the foot on the other leg ofeach pair of legs,

(b) bifurcated lever means connecting each hook means to one of saidpipe-engaging means, said lever means being pivoted ottcenter forquickly moving said hook means toward and away from said hole, and

(c) separated portions of said bifurcated lever means receiving saidhook means therebetween when in tightening position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS600,831 Howe Mar. 15, 1898 779,174 Moore Jan. 3, 1905 2,219,997Marangelo Oct. 29, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,122 Great Britain Apr. 1, 1896846,277 France June 5, 1939

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING A CIRCULAR HOLE IN A SIDE OF A CIRCULARUNDERGROUND SEWER PIPE COMPRISING: (A) A CUTTER SUPPORT INCLUDING ANELONGATED PLATE HAVING OPPOSED FACES AND AN OPENING THEREIN, (B) AHOUSING SECURED TO SAID PLATE AT ONE FACE THEREOF IN SURROUNDINGRELATIONSHIP TO SAID OPENING AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, (C) ACUTTER SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING AND HOUSING, (D) BEARINGMEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING MOUNTING SAID CUTTER SHAFT FOR ROTATION ABOUTITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROMSAID PIPE, (E) A CUTTER SECURED TO SAID CUTTER SHAFT AND DISPOSEDBETWEEN SAID PLATE AND SAID PIPE, (F) AT LEAST TWO PAIRS OF LEGS SECUREDTO SAID PLATE AND EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY OUTWARDLY FROM THEOPPOSITE OF SAID FACES, (G) EACH OF SAID LEGS HAVING A PIPE-ENGAGINGFOOT EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM GENERALLY TANGENTIALLY TO SAID SIDEOF SAID CIRCULAR PIPE, (H) TWO LINK CHAINS, EACH INTERCONNECTING THEFEET OF CORRESPONDING PAIRS OF LEGS FOR HOLDING THE FEET AGAINST SAIDSIDE OF SAID PIPE, (I) A COIL SPRING CONNECTING ONE END OF EACH CHAIN TOTHE FOOT ON ONE LEG OF EACH PAIR; THE IMPROVEMENT IN MEANS FORTIGHTENING SAID CHAINS AGAINST SAID PIPE COMPRISING A QUICK RELEASECOUPLING ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSITE END OF EACH CHAIN COMPRISING: (A) HOOKMEANS FOR INSERTION INTO A HOLE IN THE FOOT ON THE OTHER LEG OF EACHPAIR OF LEGS, AND (B) LEVER MEANS CONNECTING EACH HOOK MEANS TO ONE OFSAID CHAINS, SAID LEVER MEANS BEING PIVOTED OFF-CENTER FOR QUICKLYMOVING SAID HOOK MEANS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HOLE.